Electromagnetic noise can escape or otherwise be emitted from enclosures, which can interfere with electronic circuits or other devices nearby. Signals transmitted over electrical cables or through the air can be impacted, even severely disrupted, by the electromagnetic emissions. Most enclosures have edges, seams, openings, physical interfaces, and the like, through which the electromagnetic noise can escape. The types of enclosures that can cause such issues include personal computers, computer server equipment, broadcast equipment, sensitive satellite control devices, cellular tower equipment, handheld devices, and indeed, any enclosure that surrounds or contains electrical components such as circuit elements, conductors, or the like.
In some cases, it is desirable to prevent electromagnetic radiation or noise originating from external sources from penetrating the enclosure through similar edges, seams, openings, interfaces, and the like, which can otherwise cause unwanted interference with circuits and other components located within the enclosure. This can be of particular concern with test chambers or other similar types of test equipment and enclosures.
Government agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), among other private and public bodies, require the adherence to exacting standards for the emission of electromagnetic radiation. Much effort is expended in complying with the various laws and rules governing such emissions. Compliance through testing, redesigns, certifications, and the like, quite often requires the devotion of significant resources and time by product developers.
Conventional techniques for addressing these problems include redesigning the enclosure to reduce the number of places in which the electromagnetic energy escapes and/or enters the enclosure. Other typical approaches include covering the seams and openings using sheet metal. Still other approaches require arduous testing after each iteration of enclosure redesign, leading to further enclosure redesigns. Efforts to address the consequences of unwanted electromagnetic noise unfortunately can lead to less efficient designs. For instance, the energy efficiency of the system can become a concern because one approach for overcoming unwanted electromagnetic interference is to boost the power of the signals themselves to compensate for the noise. Such approaches lead to energy waste and are environmentally unwise.
Accordingly, a need remains for a noise dampening energy efficient tape and gasket material for reducing unwanted electromagnetic interference between enclosures and devices external to the enclosures. In addition, it would be desirable to have a more energy efficient and cost effective solution for addressing leakage of electromagnetic noise to and from enclosures. Embodiments of the invention address these and other limitations in the prior art.
The foregoing and other features of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.